Whiffletree-hook



W. H. BEST. WHIFFLETREE HOOK.

' No. 294,958. Patented Mar. '11, 1884.

" Q mv mircnm BY v WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

N. PETFRS, Phnln-Lithngnphez. wmm m, D.L.

and lock, showing the latch opened.

\VILLIAM H. BEST, OF

EASTPOBT, MICHIGAN.

WHlFFLETREE-=HOOK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 294,958, dated March 11, 1884.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

, Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. Bnsr, of Eastport, in the county of Antrim and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Combined l/Vhiffietree Hook and Lock, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention is an improvement in the class of whiffletree-hooks which are provided with springguards for preventing accidental detachment of the trace-eye from the hook.

The novelty consists in the form and arrange ment of the spring-guard with reference to the hook, as herein described, and shown in the drawings.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate cor responding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of the end of a Whiffletree provided with my improved hook Fig. 2 is a like view, showing the latch closed. Fig. 3 is an end view of the whiffletree and side view of the whiffletree-hook.

On the upper surface of the whiffietreehook A a latch is pivoted, which is formed of a crescent-shaped spring-plate, B, provvidcd with an arm, 0, through the end of which the screw or pivot D passes into the. hook. The recess in the crescent shaped spring-plate B is to be of such size and shape that it will about coincide with the recess. or aperture of the whiffletree hook A. The lower face of the spring plate or guard B, provided with a crescent-shaped semicircular recess at its forward end, which coincides with the opening in thewhiffletree-hook A when closed, is in contact with the upper face of the hook A at and near its pivot D, and also at and near the ends of its bifurcations or prongs, the middle portion of the spring-plate being arched upwardly, and not being in contact with the body of the hook A, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. By this construction the spring-plate B, when closed upon the traceeye E, covers the lateral opening in the hook A of the whiftletree, and also its prongs posi-.

tively bite the upper face of the hook to prevent the spring-plate B from being moved from its closed position by any movement of the trace-eye E. If the trace-eye E is to he passed on the hook A, the latch is swung inward and toward the whiflietree in the direction of the arrow at, so that it will be in the position shown in Fig. 1. The trace-eye E is passed into the recess of the crescent-shaped spring-plate B, and the same is swung in the reverse direction of the arrow to, so that the spring-plate B passes on the hook, and one shank or prong of the crescent-shaped plate closes the opening in the hook, and the prongs of the spring-plate B bite the upper face of the hook A and prevent the trace-eye from leaving the hook. The trace-eye cannot be unhooked without the aid of the hand, and forms a perfect latch to prevent accidental unfa'stening of the trace-eye. The latch is very simple, and no springs are required, save the upwardly-arched and pivoted spring plate or guard B, which serves the double purpose of closing thelateral opening in the hook A. and as a spring for holding itself in place on the hook. By pulling the trace-eye into the hook opening the latch is closed, so that both can be done in one operation.

I am aware that it is not new to use ahook hinged in and closing into the arms of a ferrule, or to combine a movable flanged and notched cylinder with a notched whiffietree end; but

Vhat I claim as new is The combination, with the whiffletree-hook A, curved in a horizontal plane, of the spring guard orplate B, pivoted to the upper face of the hook A, and upwardly-arched at its middle and crescent-shaped at its free end, so that when closed the inner edge of the ores cent coincides with'the opening in the hook and closes its lateral passage, and also bites the upper face of the hook to retain the guard closed, substantially as shown and described.

YVILLIAM I'I. BEST.

\Vitnesses J. W. PEARL, H. H. OHAMBERLIN. 

